This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7 119 from an application entitled POWER SUPPLY CONTROL CIRCUIT FOR COMPUTER SYSTEM HAVING A PLURALITY OF POWER MANAGEMENT STATES earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on the 25th day of October 1999, and there duly assigned Serial No. 99-46418.
The present invention relates to a power supply control circuit for a computer system and, more particularly, to a power supply control circuit for controlling power supplied to a computer system according to a plurality of power management states of the computer system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As the number of components increases with a variety of computer functions, a computer system tends to consume great amounts of power. To reduce power consumption, various components of a computer system can be placed into a variety of different power states with differing levels of power consumption. For example, video output from a computer system, processor operation, and hard disk drive rotation can be deactivated during periods of system inactivity.
One known advanced power management technique is the Advanced Power Management (APM), which has been implemented by basic input-output system (BIOS) instructions. The APM is described in detail in the Advanced Power Management BIOS Interface Specification, Revision 1.2, dated on February 1996. In accordance with the specification, the BIOS, through operating system transparent system management interrupts (SMIs), monitors power managed devices and notifies the operating system when it is time to put the system to sleep. The operating system, in turn, notifies its device drivers of the impending power state change so they can perform an orderly shutdown of their respective devices. Following the device driver operations, control is returned to the BIOS which then performs any hardware specific duties necessary to put the system to sleep. In waking from a sleep state, the system BIOS first receives control so that it can configure system hardware for returning the system to a working state. Only after the BIOS performs its configuration tasks is control returned to the operating system.
A more sophisticated advanced power management scheme is the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI), which is described in the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface Specification, Revision 1.0, dated on Dec. 22, 1996. Also, examples of ACPI supporting computer systems are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,264 entitled System And Method For Using Data Structures To Share A Plurality Of Power Resources Among A Plurality Of Devices, to Reneris, U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,264 being incorporated herein by reference.
Under the ACPI power management scheme, when a power management or configuration event occurs, an operating system is notified via an xe2x80x98operating system visible interruptxe2x80x99 known as a xe2x80x98system control interrupt (SCI)xe2x80x99. Also, it is the operating system itself that directs all system and device power state transitions. The ACPI specification defines six xe2x80x9csleepxe2x80x9d states S0 through S5. In the S0 state, also known as the working state G0, the computer system is fully on and operational, consuming maximum power. In the S5 state, also known as the soft-off state, the computer system consumes a minimal amount of power. No code is executed in the computer system, almost all devices are inactive, and the computer system awaits a wakeup event to transition the computer system to a higher activity state. Awakening from the soft-off state typically requires a complete boot of the computer system because no system context is saved prior to entering the S5 state. The sleep states between the S0 state and the S5 state each specify varying amounts of component activity and, therefore, varying amounts of power consumption. Thus, the S1 state through the S4 state have differing wakeup latency times depending upon which devices are inactive, how much computer system context was saved prior to entering the sleep state, and other factors.
A computer system with such an ACPI power management scheme supports the ATX specification that has been written as a specification for the personal computer (PC) industry to build products more cheaply, improve ease of use and serviceability, and to incorporate new and exciting input/output (I/O) features with ease. In accordance with the ATX specification, a power management controller of a computer system is always supplied with standby power. Particularly, the sleep S3 state of the ACPI power management scheme is a low wake-up latency sleeping state, whereby all system context are lost except the system memory and the power management controller. Also, the context of the CPU (Central Processing Unit), cache, and other chipsets are lost in this state.
A procedure in which a computer system enters the S3 state of the ACPI power management scheme is usually called a xe2x80x9csuspend-to-random access memory (RAM)xe2x80x9d, in which system context is stored in a system memory. Because general booting procedures are skipped in a resume operation when a computer system returns from the sleep S3 state to the working S0 state, a user can quickly utilize the computer system.
Also, a computer system supporting the ACPI power management scheme typically has a power switch, or so-called soft switch, which is used to transition a computer system to the S3 state and the S5 state. If the soft switch is on within a predetermined time, the system enters the S3 state. If the soft switch is on over the predetermined time, the system state switches to the S5 state. These soft switch functions can be set active or inactive using the complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) setup utility of a BIOS.
However, in an ACPI power management scheme supporting a computer system, the system memory is typically supplied with standby power in both the S3 state and the S5 state. Although the S5 state is substantially identical to the power-off state, a user cannot replace the system memory with a new system memory in the S5 state because the standby power is still supplied to the system memory.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,365,290 to Nelms et al., entitled Computer System with Power Control Circuit, discloses a digital computer system including a power control circuit for selectively controlling the drain imposed upon the energy source in accordance with the data input into the system and the program executed by the processor. The power control circuit is operative in at least three modes of operation, namely off/rest, power down, and operating. In the off/rest mode, the power control circuit imposes a minimum power drain upon the depletable energy source. An operator can manipulate a switch or actuation means to apply a transition signal to the power control, whereby the computer system is transitioned from its off/rest mode to its power down mode. In the power down mode, the control circuit applies power at an intermediate level to the data input means.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,024 to Smith et al. entitled Power Management for a Laptop Compute with Slow and Sleep Modes, discloses a power manager within a portable laptop computer that provides power and clocking control to various units within the computer in order to conserve battery power. Transistor switches controlled by the power manager control the distribution of power and/or clock signals to the various units within the computer. The power manager includes a software routine for continually monitoring the various units and, when these units are either not needed and/or not currently in use, power and/or clock signals are removed from a given unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,652 to Seibert et al., entitled Arrangement For Reducing Computer Power Consumption by Turning Off The Microprocessor When Inactive, discloses a power consumption reduction method and apparatus for a computer. The operating system running on the CPU of the computer determines when the CPU is not actively processing and generates a power-off signal to a control logic circuit. The control logic circuit then disconnects the CPU from the power supply. Pulses sent by a periodic timer or interrupts from input/output units are applied to the control logic circuit to at least periodically issue a power-on signal to the CPU. Power is supplied to the CPU for a given time period at every power-on signal. The control logic circuit also determines, at every power-on signal, whether the CPU is already on or being turned off.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,721 to Joto, entitled Information Processing System With A Power Control Unit, discloses an information processing system for processing an application program that provides a power control unit being operated in a run mode during which the system is powered, and a standby mode during which part of the system is powered. The system further includes functions of inputting any key on a keyboard into an application program, transferring the run mode to the standby mode by pressing a special key on the keyboard, transferring the standby mode to the run mode by pressing any key on the keyboard, detecting when no key input takes place for a certain interval of time, and transferring to the standby mode when the detecting means does not detect any occurrence of a key input for a constant time during the run mode.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,635 to Fung, entitled Power Conservation Apparatus Having Multiple Power Reduction Levels Dependent Upon The Activity Of The Computer System, discloses a power conservation system in a computer system which includes a processing unit operating under control of an operating system. The computer system generates distinct call functions to the operating system where each call function is either in an active class or an idle class. The power conservation system has a plurality of states of operation including an ON state, a DOZE state, a SLEEP state and an OFF state. An activity monitor monitors the activity of the computer system and generates control signals for selecting one of the states of operation for the computer system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,464 to Song, entitled Power Saving Apparatus For Use In Peripheral Equipment Of A Computer, discloses an apparatus for use in the peripheral equipment of a computer that reduces consumption of power. Once it has been determined that the computer has not been used for a predetermined period of time, an operation control signal indicative of a specific control mode is supplied for controlling the supply of power to the computer""s peripheral equipment and the computer""s operating state. The operation of a power supply means for generating operating power to a computer""s peripheral equipment is controlled in response to a detected control mode. Accordingly, energy is conserved by controlling the supply of power and the operating state of a computer""s peripheral equipment according to the peripheral equipment""s operational state.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,342 to Marisetty, entitled Method And Apparatus For Reducing Power Consumption In A Computer System Using Virtual Device Drivers, discloses a power management mechanism for use in a computer system having a bus, a memory for storing data and instructions, and a central processing unit (CPU). The CPU runs an operating system having a power management virtual device driver (PMVxD) responsible for performing idle detection for devices. The PMVxD performs idle detection using event timers that provide an indicator as to the activity level. The PMVxD places idle local devices in a reduced power consumption state when no activity has occurred for a predetermined period of time.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,737,616 to Watanabe, entitled Power Supply Circuit With Power Saving Capability, discloses a power supply circuit for saving electric energy consumed by a central processing unit and a peripheral assembly through coordination between power supply modes of the central processing unit and the peripheral assembly. The central processing unit has a register for establishing a status of an internal power supply of the central processing unit, a first mechanism for changing the internal power supply into the status established by the register, and a second mechanism for outputting a status signal indicative of the status. The peripheral assembly has a peripheral circuit, a peripheral device, and a power supply control block for changing power supply statuses and clock statuses of the peripheral circuit and the peripheral device based on the status signal output from the second mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,796,992 to Reif et al., entitled Circuit For Switching Between Synchronous And Asynchronous Memory Refresh Cycles In Low Power Mode, discloses a power management circuit for managing low power modes in a computer system, which implements four power modes, from highest power consumption to lowest power consumption: RUN mode, SLEEP mode, IDLE mode, and STANDBY mode.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,264 to Reneris, entitled System And Method For Using Data Structures To Share A Plurality Of Power Resources Among A Plurality Of Devices, discloses sharing a plurality of power resources among a plurality of devices using a set of data structures. Power dependencies are identified using a power management data structure defining which power resources must be on to support the device in a device state, and a system state data structure defining which power resources must be off in a corresponding system state. These data structures are used by the operating system when a desired device state for a device is selected.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,613 to Busch et al., entitled Portable Computer With Time-Sensitive Tri-Modal Power Management Switch, discloses a portable computer in which a single switch is positioned to be closed when the case is closed, and also to be readily operable by the user""s finger. Software polls the switch. If the switch is briefly depressed, the software detects that the user is requesting entry into a standby mode, and accordingly powers down certain input/output functions until new stimulus is received. If the switch is held down for a long time by the user closing the case cover, or manually holding the button down for a long time, the software causes the system to enter a sleep mode, its lowest power mode.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,548 to Nakamura et al., entitled Apparatus For Controlling Duty Ratio Of Power Saving Of CPU, discloses a computer system capable of entering a sleep mode. The rate at which the computer switches between a normal state and a stop grant state while in the sleep mode is controllable by a timer. The stop grant state is disclosed as an intermediate power consumption state between the sleep mode and the normal state.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,128,744 to Wang, entitled Computer Starter And Starting Method For An ATX Computer System, discloses a computer starter and starting method for an ATX computer system which provides a standby voltage when the computer system is shut down. The computer starter takes the standby signal as its power supply and includes a smart card interface, a clock generator, a non-volatile memory, a micro-controller and a power control circuit. The smart card interface generates an enable signal upon insertion of a smart card.
Therefore, it is an object, among other objects, of the present invention to provide a power supply control circuit for an ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) power management scheme supporting a computer system, which is capable of reducing power consumption.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a power supply control circuit for an ACPI power management scheme supporting a computer system, which permits the substitution of the system memory with a new system memory in the soft off or power off state of the ACPI power management scheme by cutting off an unnecessary supply of power to the system memory.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a power supply control circuit is used for a computer system with a plurality of power management states including a normal state, a sleep state, and a power-off state. The power supply control circuit includes a power supply, a power management controller, and a switching circuit. The power supply supplies a main power and a standby power. The power management controller, which is operated by receiving the standby power, controls the power supply to output the main power in the normal state and selectively outputs a plurality of system state display signals according to the plurality of the power management states. The switching circuit receives the main power and the standby power, and the switching circuit supplies the main power to a volatile system memory when a system state display signal of the plurality of system state display signals displays the normal state. When a system state display signal of the plurality of system state display signals displays the power-off state, the switching circuit cuts off the standby power supplied to the system memory. In the sleep state, a system context is stored and held in the system memory.
The switching circuit includes a first switch, a second switch, and a switch driver. The first switch is located between a power supply for the standby power and the system memory. The second switch is located between a power supply for the main power and the system memory. The switch driver receives a system state display signal of the plurality of system state display signals. The switch driver selectively switches on the second switch when a system state display signal of the plurality of system state display signals displays the normal state. The switch driver selectively switches on the first switch when a system state display signal of the plurality of system state display signals displays the sleep state, and the switch driver selectively switches off the first switch and the second switch when a system state display signal of the plurality of system state display signals displays the power-off state. The switching circuit further includes a regulator located between the power supply for the standby power and the first switch.